Illinois Valley News: The Voice of the Illinois Valley

Commissioner candidates provide platform statements

From our weekly issue dated April 16, 2008

Candidates for the Josephine County Board of Commissioners have been asked by Illinois Valley News to provide campaign statements in advance of a forum Monday, April 28 and the May 20 primary election. Following (in alphabetical order) are some of those which have been received.

Rowdy Bates/ Position 2

I want to establish a county government environment that fosters teamwork, and I want to protect the rights of property owners.

I will work to improve the efficiency of our county government, and I support our sheriff as our number one priority.

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We must restore open communication between commissioners; work to resolve constituent issues prior to litigation; and work to improve a climate of teamwork between county departments.

As your commissioner I will be responsible and utilize sound leadership skills.

I joined the U.S. Navy under the Advanced Technical Field, and supervised all welding, plumbing and pipefitting aboard the USS Fulton, a submarine tender which had a crew of more than 1,000. I was the ship fire marshal, and led the ship’s elite fire-fighting team known as “The Flying Squad.”

In Groton, Conn., I supervised the structural repair shop. It performed all structural manufacturing and repair for all 27 nuclear submarines stationed in Connecticut.

I have managed and supervised all Laidlaw school bus operations in Josephine County and portions of Jackson County. In Junction City, I supervised all school bus repair.

Excellent leadership and distinctive goals are my agenda. My wife, Susan, and I have five children, and have lived in Josephine County for the past five years.

Jack Brown/Position 3

Jack Brown said that he understands our business climate; that we need to free our businessmen from regulations hindering job creation.

He knows we need adequate law enforcement, real tax reform (tax reduction) and election reform. He knows that our children need quality education, and that we must protect our environment -- including people.

He has seen the economy as an employee and an employer, including working for Rough & Ready Lumber Co., and a decade as a saw filer at Spalding & Son. In 1979 he began a sideline called Auto Doc (a mobile auto repair business), which grew into a full-time business the following year.

He has been active in two organizations especially dedicated to a more-informed electorate: The John Birch Society, which he served as a chapter leader for two different local chapters; and Oregon Citizens Alliance.

Brown has been strongly supportive of pro-life activities, as well as activities defending our 2nd Amendment Rights in Josephine County, and he has spoken out against the abuse of our rights by government agencies such as LCDC, OSHA and EPA.

For the past eight years, he has been involved in the Constitution Party of the State of Oregon. His platform and philosophy are the same as the day he entered the struggle in 1976. Brown said that he is still defending our God-given, Constitutionally guaranteed rights and fighting for the restoration of the republican form of government given us by our Founding Fathers.

Sandy Cassenelli/ Position 2

Gone are the days when the people of Josephine County will vote for property tax increases, special levies, taxing districts or a sales tax. What voters know, and elected officials have yet to learn, is: Josephine County cannot be taxed into prosperity.

Instead of trying to squeeze every last dime out of the citizenry, we need a government that spends dramatically less money and lives within a budget.

Of major concern is the lack of accountability for money that’s already being collected. (Just try getting a detailed itemization of expenditures from a department). This lack of full, public, fiscal disclosure is responsible for much of the county’s mismanagement of funds.

Couple that with poor decisions made by the board of commissioners (caving to the union’s strike, “giving away” the Dimmick property; approving pay raises, etc.) and it’s little wonder why the electorate doesn’t trust government.

Now is the time for those in the courthouse to cut back salaries, benefits, vacation and sick time. (A reduction of the employees’ work week, with managers picking up the slack, has also been suggested.) We cannot continue to support elected officials and county employees to a standard of living which far exceeds that of the citizenry.

Finally, the establishment of a county manager, not subject to the election process, would be a huge disaster. Just look at the city of GP’s mess under its administrative system. We don’t need a new government structure. We need people of integrity elected to the positions we already have.

Dwight Ellis/ Position 3

After retiring from the U.S. Air Force in 1988, I moved my family to Grants Pass, where most of our relatives live. My brother lives in Grants Pass, and he and I married sisters from Grants Pass.

I worked for Joseph Winan’s Furniture for a year; then was hired by the Grants Pass/Josephine County Chamber of Commerce as its executive director, serving from 1990 to 2004. In 2003, I was voted Oregon Executive Director of the Year.

I was elected a county commissioner in 2005 to fill the position that Jim Brock had vacated.

During the past three years I have helped trim government by nearly 200 employees, helped build reserves by $6 million, and tried to bring stability to local government.

My goal is to renew the citizens’ trust in their elected officials, re-establish public confidence in the JoCo Office of County Commissioners; and above all, be an open and truthful servant to the people who elect me.

I believe that public safety is our top priority and that if we all work together we can solve this funding crisis and come up with solutions to mitigate the threats to our criminal justice system.

Finally, when I leave office, my wish is to have made this county a better place to live and raise our families than when I took office. I want to have positively affected the economy, increased public awareness of the issues and improved the relationship between government and the citizens of Josephine County.

Frank Iverson/Position 2

I’m running for commissioner again to alleviate serious county problems. I favor a more equitable tax structure: eliminating Josephine County’s share of the property tax and adding a 2 percent fixed sales tax on non-essential items.

The sales tax could not be raised higher than 2 percent, and it would expire in five years unless re authorized by voters. It will afford a steady income and will be more equitable than constantly targeting land owners for funding. A sales tax will bolster public safety and bring health programs to the level required.

I also favor countywide timber harvesting in an environmentally sound manner to aid our economy.

If re-elected, I’ll accept a cut in my commissioner’s salary and work to restructure the governing body to consist of a county manager who would report to a three-commissioner advisory board, part of whose duties will be to deal directly with departmental services.

Some of my previous accomplishments as commissioner: Held regular meetings in JoCo’s outlying areas; worked with the sheriff and citizens in creating substations for fast response; and changed the commission’s meeting rules to allow open discussions on nonagenda items (previously denied).

And, consolidated the management of departments resulting in a reduction of managers and lower budget, which increased substantially after I left office; presided over county timber auctions, bringing in more than $1 million a year.

Cliff Thomason/Position 2

I choose to run for county commissioner in this election not because it is easy, but because it is hard.

The years ahead will test us as not only as a county, but as a community. Financial security for our government, as well as our families, will be tested. We are at a crossroads that demands that we must be fiscally responsible.

Instead of preparing for the loss of federal funds, our county government has continued to operate in a delusional state, believing that the federal government would continue to bail us out year after year. But the free ride is over.

I will work hard to bring us in line and in budget with the tax revenues that you give us. I will pare down county government and give you the transparency you demand. I will not go back on my word. I will abide by the will of the voters.

I’m willing to make the tough decisions for you.

It seems that other candidates such as Harry Mackin and Frank Iverson think that increasing the size of our government and quadrupling people’s property taxes is the best solution. Bigger government and more personal financial burden is not what the majority of people in Josephine County want or need.

We have continuously voted down county manager form of government. We have continuously voted down increasing our tax burden. The people have continued to lobby for smaller government and less taxes.

I believe the voters will not favor a tax increase until they see for themselves what our government looks like operating within its own means.

Harry Mackin/Position 2

Like you, I am troubled by the infighting and lack of cooperation on our board of county commissioners. They must overcome their personal agendas and work together to get the job done.

If we can’t trust them to cooperate with each others, how can we trust our commissioners to restore our county to the level of services it deserves?

I have more than 30 years experience in business and community involvement. I have learned how to listen to the ideas of others and find solutions that work for everyone. As your county commissioners, I will strive to:

Restore leadership, restore teamwork, restore respect, and restore your confidence.

Public safety is my number one priority. Other goals are to obtain permanent funding for our county, cut costs in our county operations, strive for teamwork on the board of commissioners, establish a fire district in unprotected areas, reopen our libraries, and work for efficiency in county government.

I am committed to improving the quality of life for all residents of Josephine County.

I am a retired U.S. Marine Corps captain, and worked for 28 years at Hart Insurance, including vice president from 1985 to 2006.

Among my community efforts, I have served on the Boys & Girls Club board, including a term as president; I’ve been a Little League coach; and served on the Josephine County School Board, as well as the Homebuilders Association.